Gabrielle Carteris

“Safety is always a paramount concern for us. We are always engaged with the studios and with what better structures can be done.”

“One of the tangible benefits of the merger is that we are not vying with each other for work. We can now focus on organizing work in one place. There is no SAG, no AFTRA, only SAG-AFTRA.”

“Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental concept of labor agreements.”

“We never want to see anyone go in front of the camera or behind the mic without union protection.”

“I met a girl when I was in third grade. Kids were beating her up - she was deaf - so I walked her home. Her parents were deaf and they gave me the alphabet on a card. I learned it and taught my friends how to do the alphabet - which was outlawed in our school because we used to talk to each other in class.”

“These issues of gender equity and diversity have been ongoing conversations throughout the decades. I remember even when I was just starting in the business in the 1980s. It's not just Hollywood's problem. This is systemic. It's in our country, so what happens in Hollywood is that everything's just magnified because it's out there in the public.”

“Words have consequences and SAG-AFTRA members deserve leadership that is interested in the path forward, not a return to the divisiveness of the past. I am proud to provide that leadership.”

“Television is a very gratifying medium.”

“I have permanent damage to my facial nerves. I went to the UCLA Movement Disorder Clinic, and after two years of tests and constant monitoring they have finally found the right medication that keeps the spasms under control.”

“The world is diverse, and it's important for us to reflect the real world.”

“Relationships with sister guilds are growing stronger and stronger. It's important that all of us are working together - all the unions and the employers. It behooves us to come together.”

“The thing I enjoy most about campaigning is getting to have so many conversations with members. The downside is it takes away from the work of the union. I think that the work of the members is the most important thing.”

“Women come to a time in their lives where they raise their kids, they've had their careers, their kids leave home, and they're deciding, 'Am I recommitting to my relationship? It's been a great ride. Do I want to stay here? Maybe there's something else.'”

“I'm still working on my speech, but I do a lot of voice-acting work. My agent is the best. I make a good living.”

“For me, an aspiration is to be respected by my peers, people in the industry.”

“Success comes in doing the hard work - not breaking each other down, but building each other up. I don't expect any less from myself.”

“Differences of opinion are healthy and they're a part of what makes our democracy great. We grow by understanding each other's differences.”

“I see us continuing to expand our contracts just as we've done with Netflix and with Telemundo. We are not just bound to the traditional employers that we've had in the past.”

“I will say that equity overall is an important issue and one we are constantly looking at. In a perfect world, the entertainment and media industry and the content on our screens would reflect the true American scene.”

“Inclusion and transparency have been mainstays of my leadership. It's about education and reaching out.”